The life of Henry Hiley Part 1 - the death of Henry's mother Ethel

A little late in coming, but as promised at the end of last year, today's post is the first in a series which will describe the life of Henry Hiley. These posts will be illustrated with some of the many photos which Henry left, and be accompanied with excerpts from his life story, 'HH remembers'. These were first recorded on to cassette tapes and then copied on to 24 CDs, and represent a wonderful collection of memoirs which cover Henry's entire life.

Henry was born on 10th January 1919 at 72 Victoria Street, Littleborough. His parents were Harold and Ethel (nee Heap). 

Harold and Ethel Hiley - possibly on their wedding day in 1903.
This is the only photo we have of Ethel

Henry as a baby

Henry at 72 Victoria Street

I can scarcely remember my mother who died of consumption in the spring of 1923. I was four years old. What memories I have are two, only two. One was of Dr Gorst, the family doctor, who used to let himself in at the back door, nip up the stairs to Mother’s bedroom. That was the room where I was born on January 10th 1919. He would leave his bowler hat on the chair at the bottom of the stairs, go up to examine her and then come down and go.

Another recollection I have is that when the weather was good, summer time, then Daddy would lift her, carry her downstairs and let her sit in a deckchair in the back yard.

The last, well there are now three recollections, because I remember the day that she was buried at Mankinholes. The coffin was standing in our tiny living room and the relatives were standing round. I noticed grown men and women crying and I wondered how it could be that adults could cry. I thought crying was only for children. However I now realise why they were crying. It had been a bad, bad blow for the family.

Ethel's grave at Mankinholes